The Man in Black 1954–1958

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The Man in Black 1954-1958
Box set by
Released1990
Recorded1954–1958
Genre
LengthSeven hours
LabelBear Family
Johnny Cash chronology
Highwayman 2
(1990)
The Man in Black 1954-1958
(1990)
Come Along and Ride this Train
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

The Man in Black 1954–1958 is a Bear Family Records 5-CD box set of Johnny Cash's music. It contains every known recording from Sun to Columbia from the years 1954-1958. It's the first of three box sets in the Man In Black box set series.

The box itself is shaped as a square border box as it holds cases for the discs, and a booklet for a welcome bonus.

Track listing[edit]

Disc One
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Wide Open Road"The Sun Years1:50
2."You're My Baby"The Sun Years1:48
3."My Treasure"The Sun Years2:31
4."My Treasure"Now Here's Johnny Cash1:17
5."Hey Porter"Previously unreleased2:13
6."Folsom Prison Blues"Previously unreleased2:32
7."Wide Open Road"The Sun Years2:36
8."My Two Timin' Woman"The Roots of Rock, Vol. 10: Sun Country1:59
9."Hey Porter"Now Here's Johnny Cash2:15
10."Cry! Cry! Cry!"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:29
11."Wide Open Road"Story Songs of the Trains and Rivers2:30
12."Port of Lonely Hearts"Now Here's Johnny Cash2:36
13."I Couldn't Keep from Crying"The Singing Storyteller2:03
14."New Mexico"The Sun Years2:07
15."Folsom Prison Blues"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:50
16."So Doggone Lonesome"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:39
17."Mean Eyed Cat"Sings Hank Williams2:30
18."Luther Played the Boogie"Greatest!2:05
19."Rock and Roll Ruby"The Sun Years1:44
20."I Walk the Line"The Sun Years2:41
21."Brakeman's Blues" (Incomplete)Previously unreleased1:32
22."Get Rhythm"Previously unreleased2:16
23."Get Rhythm"Greatest!2:15
24."I Walk the Line"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:46
25."Train of Love"Sun Records, The Country Years2:38
26."Train of Love"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:24
27."There You Go"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:19
28."One More Ride" (Incomplete)The Sun Years00:50
29."I Love You Because"The Sun Years2:27
30."Goodbye Little Darlin'"Greatest!2:16
31."I Love You Because"Sings Hank Williams2:28
32."Straight A's In Love"Sings Hank Williams2:14
Disc Two
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Don't Make Me Go"Previously unreleased2:53
2."Next In Line"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:48
3."Don't Make Me Go"The Sun Years2:33
4."Don't Make Me Go"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:30
5."Home of the Blues" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased3:01
6."Give My Love to Rose"Previously unreleased3:12
7."Give My Love to Rose"Sings Hank Williams2:46
8."Home of the Blues" (Overdubbed Master)Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:41
9."Rock Island Line"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:01
10."Wreck of the Old 97"With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:48
11."Belshazzar"The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash2:27
12."Country Boy"The Sun Years1:49
13."Leave That Junk Alone"The Sun Years1:30
14."Doin' My Time"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:39
15."Country Boy"With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:53
16."If the Good Lord's Willing"With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:44
17."I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:25
18."I Was There When It Happened"Sun Records, The Country Years2:18
19."Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:49
20."I Was There When It Happened"With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:17
21."Big River"Previously unreleased3:46
22."Ballad of a Teenage Queen"Previously unreleased2:18
23."Goodnight Irene"The Sun Years2:41
24."Big River"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:33
25."Ballad of a Teenage Queen"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:14
26."Come In Stranger"The Roots Of Rock, Vol. 4: Cotton City Country2:03
27."Guess Things Happen That Way" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased1:58
28."Come In Stranger"Sings Hank Williams1:43
29."Oh, Lonesome Me" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased2:30
30."Guess Things Happen That Way"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous1:52
31."Oh, Lonesome Me" (Overdubbed Master)Now Here's Johnny Cash2:29
Disc Three
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Sugartime"Previously unreleased1:46
2."Born To Lose" (Undubbed Master)The Sun Years2:10
3."You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:41
4."Born to Lose"The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash2:11
5."Sugartime" (Overdubbed Master)Now Here's Johnny Cash1:50
6."Story of a Broken Heart"The Sun Years2:33
7."Always Alone" (Incomplete)The Sun Years1:35
8."Always Alone"The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash1:52
9."Story of a Broken Heart" (False Starts)Previously unreleased2:28
10."Story of a Broken Heart"Now Here's Johnny Cash2:12
11."You Tell Me"Greatest!1:55
12."Life Goes On"Now Here's Johnny Cash2:01
13."You Win Again"Previously unreleased2:18
14."I Could Never Be Ashamed of You"Previously unreleased2:14
15."Hey Good Lookin'"Previously unreleased1:43
16."I Can't Help It"Previously unreleased1:46
17."Cold Cold Heart"Previously unreleased2:21
18."Blue Train"All Aboard the Blue Train2:03
19."Katy Too"Greatest!1:58
20."The Ways of a Woman in Love"The Sun Years2:28
21."Fools Hall of Fame"Previously unreleased2:25
22."The Ways of a Woman in Love"Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:17
23."Thanks a Lot"Greatest!2:38
24."It's Just About Time"Previously unreleased2:08
25."I Forgot to Remember to Forget"Previously unreleased2:10
26."I Just Thought You'd Like to Know"Greatest!2:25
27."It's Just About Time"Greatest!2:10
28."I Forgot to Remember to Forget"Greatest!1:55
29."Down The Street to 301"Now Here's Johnny Cash2:03
Disc Four
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Oh What a Dream"Previously unreleased2:05
2."I'll Remember You"Previously unreleased2:07
3."Drink to Me"Songs of Our Soil1:54
4."What Do I Care""All Over Again" B-side2:08
5."Suppertime"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:51
6."It Was Jesus"Hymns by Johnny Cash2:05
7."Oh What a Dream"Columbia Records 1958-19862:03
8."I'll Remember You"Previously unreleased2:05
9."Mama's Baby"The Unissued Johnny Cash2:22
10."The Troubadour"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:16
11."Run Softly Blue River"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:15
12."All Over Again"Single A-side2:15
13."That's All Over"The Fabulous Johnny Cash1:54
14."Frankie's Man Johnnie"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:17
15."Fool's Hall of Fame"The Unissued Johnny Cash2:09
16."Walkin' the Blues"The Unissued Johnny Cash2:14
17."Lead Me Father"Hymns by Johnny Cash2:27
18."That's Enough"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:42
19."I Still Miss Someone"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:36
20."One More Ride"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:02
21."Pickin' Time"The Fabulous Johnny Cash1:59
22."Don't Take Your Guns to Town"The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:04
23."I'd Rather Die Young"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:31
24."The Shepherd of My Heart"The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:12
25."Cold Shoulder"The Unissued Johnny Cash1:52
Disc Five
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Lead Me Father" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased3:41
2."Lead Me Father" (Takes 5-9)Previously unreleased4:32
3."Lead Me Father" (Takes 10-12)Previously unreleased3:47
4."Lead Me Father" (Master-Take 13)Hymns by Johnny Cash2:36
5."That's Enough" (Takes 1-3)Previously unreleased2:28
6."That's Enough" (Master-Take 4)The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:52
7."I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 1-5)Previously unreleased4:07
8."I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 6-8)Previously unreleased4:19
9."I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 9-10)Previously unreleased2:55
10."I Still Miss Someone" (Master-Take 11)The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:43
11."One More Ride" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased3:09
12."One More Ride" (Takes 5-11)Previously unreleased2:16
13."One More Ride" (Master-Take 12)The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:06
14."Pickin' Time" (Takes 1-2)Previously unreleased2:32
15."Pickin' Time" (Master-Take 3)The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:04
16."Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased2:46
17."Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Takes 5-6)Previously unreleased3:31
18."Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Master)The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:04
19."I'd Rather Die Young" (Take 1 and Master-Take 2)The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:53
20."The Shepherd of My Heart" (Takes 1-2 and Master-Take 3)The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:31
21."Cold Shoulder" (Master-Take 1 and Master-Take 2)The Unissued Johnny Cash2:15

Song information[edit]

Previously unissued:

  • CD 1: tracks 5, 6, 21, 22
  • CD 2: tracks 1, 5, 6, 21, 22, 27, 29
  • CD 3: tracks 1, 13 to 17, 21, 24, 25
  • CD 4: tracks 1, 2, 7, 8,3

CD 5 contains a complete session: false starts, breakdowns, rejected and finished masters of songs recorded on August 13, 1958.

Numbers next to some songs indicate the year of the release.

Credits[edit]

References[edit]